PHILIPPINE JURISPRUDENCE - FULL TEXT

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Fon!ation

"#R# No# L-$%&'( Jne $() *+%,
ERNEST- C# CUENCA ./# PE-PLE -F THE PHIL#) ET AL#
Rep0lic o1 the Philippine/
SUPREME COURT
2anila
EN 3ANC
G.R. No. L-27586 June 26, 1970
ERNESTO CUENCA Y CUEAS, petitioner)
./#
PEOPLE O! T"E P"#L#PP#NES $n% COURT O! APPEALS, re/pon!ent/#
Arsenio O. de Leon for petitioner..
Office of the Solicitor General Antonio P. Barredo, Assistant Solicitor General Isidro C. Borromeo and Trial
Attorney Josefina Domino!De Leon for respondents..

CONCEPC#ON, J.:
Appeal) 04 certiorari) ta5en 04 !e1en!ant Erne/to Cenca 4 Ce.a/) 1ro6 a !eci/ion o1 the Cort o1 Appeal/
a11ir6in7 that o1 the Cort o1 Fir/t In/tance o1 2anila) con.ictin7 hi6 o1 the cri6e o1 ille7al po//e//ion o1 a
1irear6/ an! /e.en ron!/ o1 a66nition an! /entencin7 hi6 to i6pri/on6ent 1or one 4ear an! to pa4 the
co/t/) a/ well a/ !irectin7 the con1i/cation an! 1or1eitre o1 /ai! 1irear6 an! a66nition#
The 1act/) a/ 1on! 04 the trial cort) an! a!opte! 04 the Cort o1 Appeal/) are a/ 1ollow/8
The acc/e! wa/ a /pecial watch6an an! /ecrit4 7ar! o1 the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4
A7enc4# In that a7enc4) the4 were 6ore than 1ort4 /ecrit4 7ar!/# It wa/ the practice in the
a7enc4 that when the /ecrit4 7ar!/ reporte! 1or wor5) the4 were pro.i!e! with 1irear6/
an! a66nition) which the4 wol! retrn a1ter their tor o1 !t4#
-n Janar4 :) *+(:) the acc/e! wa/ !etaile! at the Philippine Sa.in7/ 3an5 a/ /ecrit4
7ar!# He wa/ wearin7 the ni1or6 o1 the a7enc4 an! wa/ ar6e! with a pi/tol) Ithaca) #;&
cal#) with Serial No# *,,+%:') which ha! a 6a7a<ine containin7 /e.en ron!/ o1 a66nition#
The 1irear6 an! the a66nition were pro.i!e! 04 the a7enc4# The 1irear6 wa/ not alwa4/
/e! 04 hi6 alone) a/ at other ti6e/ the /a6e 1irear6 wa/ /e! 04 the other /ecrit4
7ar!/# -n the !ate an! the place 6entione!) Pat# Pal Sa0ate) who wa/ /tatione! at Pla<a
2iran!a a/ /ecrit4 o11icer o1 the /ta7e /how) arre/te! the acc/e! 1or ille7al po//e//ion o1
the /ai! 1irear6 an! a66nition# =hen a/5e! to pro!ce hi/ licen/e to po//e// the 1irear6
an! a66nition) the acc/e! tol! hi6 that he wa/ a /pecial watch6an an! /ecrit4 7ar! o1
the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4 to which the 1irear6 an! a66nition 0elon7e!) an!
the licen/e to po//e// the /a6e wa/ in the o11ice o1 the a7enc4# The acc/e! tol! Pat#
Sa0ate that the owner o1 the a7enc4 wa/ one 2r# For0e/) who ha! the licen/e 1or the /ai!
1irear6 an! a66nition# Accor!in7 to Pat# Sa0ate) the a7enc4 wa/ n!er the /per.i/ion o1
the 2anila Police Depart6ent#
It appear/ that the a7enc4 ha/ no licen/e to po//e// the 1irear6 an! a66nition in >e/tion?
hence) neither the acc/e! nor the a7enc4 i/ a licen/e! po//e//or o1 /ai! 1irear6 an!
a66nition# The acc/e! clai6e! that he wa/ 6a!e to 0elie.e in the a7enc4 that 2r# For0e/
ha! licen/e to po//e// the6#
The i//e in thi/ ca/e i/ whether appellant i/ 7ilt4 o1 the o11en/e char7e!) con/i!erin7 that) at the ti6e
a0o.e-6entione!) he wa/ a re7lar /ecrit4 7ar! o1 the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4) which wa/ !l4
licen/e! to operate a/ /ch /ecrit4 a7enc4? that) in the cor/e o1 it/ re7lar operation) the /a6e pro.i!e/
it/ /ecrit4 7ar!/) who are in the !i/char7e o1 their !tie/ a/ /ch) with the /al 1irear6/ an!
a66nition/) which) at the en! o1 their re/pecti.e /hi1t/) are either 5ept in the proper loc5er or retrne! to
the a7enc4 an! then !eli.ere! 04 the latter to the /ecrit4 7ar!/ a//i7ne! to the ne@t /hi1t? that the 1irear6
an! a66nition/ in >e/tion were 1on! in appellantA/ po//e//ion at the ti6e when) an! at the place where)
he wa/ actall4 !i/char7in7 hi/ !tie/) wearin7 the corre/pon!in7 ni1or6) ar6 0an! an! 0a!7e? that pon
0ein7 a/5e! 04 Patrol6an Pal Sa0ate to pro!ce the re>i/ite licen/e) appellant /tate! that the /a6e wa/
in the po//e//ion o1 Jo/e For0e/) the owner an! operator o1 the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4) o1 which
he BappellantC i/) an! ha/ 0een) /ince April) *+(*) one o1 it/ appro@i6atel4 1ort4 B;,C /ecrit4 7ar!/? an!
that) /oon therea1ter) Jo/e For0e/ con1ir6e!) in the police /tation) the /tate6ent/ 6a!e 04 appellant) 0t
a!!e! that he BFor0e/C wa/ /till in the proce// o1 7ettin7 the /ai! licen/e#
The trial cort an! the Cort o1 Appeal/ con.icte! appellant herein) !e/pite hi/ prote/t/ o1 7oo! 1aith) pon
the 7ron! that the cri6e o1 ille7al po//e//ion o1 a 1irear6 an! a66nition i/ not mal"m in se) 0t mal"m
prohi#it"m an! that it) accor!in7l4) re>ire/ neither 6alice nor e.il prpo/e or intent# It /hol! 0e note!)
howe.er) that the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4 i/ !l4 licen/e! to operate a/ /ch# Con/e>entl4) it
6a4 le7all4 en7a7e the /er.ice o1 co6petent per/on/ to !i/char7e the !tie/ o1 /pecial watch6en an!
/ecrit4 7ar!/) an! pro.i!e the6) a/ /ch) with the corre/pon!in7 1irear6/ an! a66nition/# The a7enc4
i/ th/ /ppo/e! to o0tain the licen/e nece//ar4 there1or# Ha! it !one /o) there wol! 0e no >e/tion a0ot
the a0/ence o1 an4 cri6inal lia0ilit4 on the part o1 appellant herein 1or the po//e//ion o1 the 1irear6 an!
a66nition in >e/tion) e.en tho7h the licen/e were not in hi/ na6e) 0t in that o1 the a7enc4 or it/ owner
an! operator) Jo/e For0e/# Hence) the >er4 0oil/ !own to whether or not appellant i/ 7ilt4 o1 the cri6e
char7e! owin7 to the 1ailre o1 Jose $or#es to co6pl4 with hi/ !t4 to o0tain /ch licen/e) 0e1ore he 7ot /ai!
1irear6 an! a66nition an! !eli.ere! the /a6e to hi/ a1ore6entione! e6plo4ee#
Upon 6atre !eli0eration) the Cort 1eel/ an! /o hol!/ that the an/wer 6/t 0e in the ne7ati.e# The rea/on
i/ that appellant wa/ entitle! to a//6e that hi/ e6plo4er ha! the re>i/ite licen/e to po//e// /ai! 1irear6
an! a66nition an! to trn the6 o.er to hi6 while he wa/ on !t4 a/ one o1 the re7lar /ecrit4 7ar!/ o1
the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4) the /a6e 0ein7 a !l4 licen/e! /ecrit4 a7enc4# A/ /ch) tho/e
!ealin7 with it) either a/ client/ or a/ e6plo4ee/ thereo1) are entitle! to pre/6e) in the a0/ence o1 in!icia to
the contrar4 D an! there were none in the pre/ent ca/e D that it ha/ co6plie! with pertinent law/) rle/
an! re7lation/# =hat i/ 6ore) Jo/e For0e/ ha! tol! appellant that the 1irear6 an! a66nition in >e/tion
were !l4 licen/e!) an!) a/ an e6plo4ee o1 the a7enc4) appellant col! not 0e e@pecte! to !e6an! 1ro6 hi/
e6plo4er proo1 o1 the .eracit4 o1 the latterA/ a//ertion 0e1ore rel4in7 thereon#
=e are not n6in!1l o1 the !an7er po/e! 04 the po//i0ilit4 or pro0a0ilit4 o1 a0/e or 6i//e o1 the licen/e
o1 /ecrit4 a7encie/ to operate a/ /ch# The !an7er ari/e/) howe.er) when /ai! licen/e i/ 7rante!
i6pro.i!entl4) withot ta5in7 the nece//ar4 precation/ there1or D prior to an! /0/e>entl4 to the i//ance
o1 /ai! licen/e D in ter6/ o1 a!e>ate 6ea/re/ to /ee it) inter alia) that the a7enc4 i/ a tr/tworth4 an!
re/pon/i0le one? that it i/ properl4 6ana7e! 04 per/on/ po//e//e! o1 the 6oral character nece//ar4
there1or? that onl4 tho/e ha.in7 the re>i/ite >ali1ication/ are en7a7e! a/ /ecrit4 7ar!/? that /ita0le
rle/ are a!opte! an! en1orce! 7o.ernin7 their !i/cipline) an! the a//i7n6ent) care an! c/to!4 o1 1irear6/
an! a66nition/) a/ well a/ the 5eepin7 o1 re7i/ter/ an! the entr4 therein o1 annotation/ or 6e6oran!a
/ettin7 1orth) at all ti6e/) the location/ an!Eor !i/po/ition o1 each one o1 the a1ore6entione! 1irear6/ an!
a66nition that the operation o1 the a7enc4 i/ e11ecti.el4 /per.i/e! 04 the "o.ern6ent#
Nee!le// to /a4) thi/ !eci/ion 6/t 0e !ee6e! re/tricte! in it/ application to !l4 licen/e! /ecrit4 a7encie/
an! to re7lar /ecrit4 7ar!/ thereo1# 2oreo.er) the owner) 6ana7er an!Eor operator o1 the /ecrit4
a7enc4) who 1aile! to /ecre the re>i/ite licen/e D in the ca/e at 0ar) Jo/e For0e/) a/ the owner an!
operator o1 the 3ataan 9eteran/ Secrit4 A7enc4 D /hol! 0e pro/ecte! 1or ille7al po//e//ion o1 1irear6/
an!Eor /ch other cri6e a/ 6a4 ha.e 0een co66itte! in con/e>ence o1 the 0reach o1 the law/ an!
re7lation a0o.e re1erre! to#
=HEREF-RE) the !eci/ion appeale! 1ro6 i/ here04 re.er/e! an! herein appellant) Erne/to Cenca 4
Ce.a/) accor!in7l4) ac>itte!) with co/t/ de officio# Let a cop4 o1 thi/ !eci/ion 0e /er.e! pon the Cit4
Fi/cal o1 2anila 1or appropriate action in accor!ance with the prece!in7 para7raph) with !e a!.i/e to thi/
Cort o1 the action ta5en hereon# It i/ /o or!ere!#
%eyes, J.B.L., Di&on, 'a(alintal, )aldi*ar, Castro, $ernando, Teehan(ee and +illamor, JJ., conc"r.
Barredo, J., too( no part.
The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Fon!ation